Durbin: Repealing Health Care Would Be Detrimental To Hospitals And Rural Communities

Statement

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called out congressional Republicans for their efforts to repeal health care without any replacement plan to protect all Americans' access to quality health insurance, especially seniors and individuals with pre-existing conditions. In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin described his meeting this week with administrators from hospitals across Central Illinois and how devastating repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be to rural communities and health providers.

"Yesterday, I called together the administrators of hospitals in Central Illinois, small town rural hospitals and larger hospitals. When I asked about the impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act, here is what they told me. Repeal without replacing the ACA would adversely impact patient access to care and hospital and health system's ability to continue to provide services. They also said that repeal of the ACA would potentially result in job losses," said Durbin. "They went on to say that Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, with the Republican repeal of Obamacare, could lose over $140 million over the next six years, and that uncompensated care cost would "rise dramatically due to both a rise in charity care and decline in Medicaid coverage and reimbursement.' I sincerely hope that President Trump and Congressional Republicans heed the warnings of our physicians and hospitals, who are telling us not to repeal the Affordable Care Act in a hurried, political rush."

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